Apparatus for preserving posts



Aug. 17 1926.

Jv HEBER APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING POSTS Filed Dec. 6. 1923 Patented hug. l7, 1926i.

acorn nmnn, OF NEW MARTINSVILLE, WESjT VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING POSTS.

Application filed December 8, 1923. serial E0. 678,915.

This invention is for a method of and an and posts of other types for other purposes. apparatus for preserving posts and poles to Applied to the pole 5, with its top above prolong the life thereof, and protect them the ground line and its lower and below against the attacks of insects, rot, decay, the ground line, is the metallic rotecting oxidation, and weather conditions at the device, which is preferabl forms of a pluno place most subject to the attack. of such rality, preferably two, lon itudinal secdeteriorating causes. tions 6 and 7 having a gradual taper at it is a matter of common knowledge that their upper ends. The sections have longipoles and posts and similar supporting or tudinal side flanges 8 in which are registerto structural elements anchored in the earth ing holes 9 through which bolts, rivets, or are most subject to decay from a point a other securing devices may pass, or which iiew inches above the ground line to a point may be soldered together, as shown at 9' several inches below the ground. This is in Fig. 7. When secured by fastening means, probably due to the fact, principally, that a gasket- 10 may be interposed between. the it the alternating effects of wet and dry condiflanges. p w tions, together with the presence of air, The upper inwardly tapered endsfit close are most harmful at this point, and to the to the pole in order'to shed water and profact that this point is most subject to varyvide a surface on which dirt andother foring temperature and weather conditions. eign particles can not collect. Except as The presence of injurious insects is also conwhere the upper end contacts with the pole, to

fined mostly to the top soil. the device is spaced away from the pole. The present invention has for its princi al In order to hold the device concentric with ooject to provide at this point, or any ot er respect to the pole and at the same time points most subject to these deteriorating support the metal plates against crushing so causes, a quantity of oil or other preservastrains and transmit lateral moments of so ive, which may be replenished from time pressure'into the supporting earth, a series to time, whereby the poles or posts may of spaced apart vertically extending ribs be inept in constant state of saturation and or strips 11, of wood or metal, are applied consequently well protected. to the pole before the protector is applied These and other objects and advantages thereto. These ribs are secured on a pile on r are attained by my invention, one form of determined position with respect to the part i the structure of which is illustrated in the of the pole to be protected. The tops Of accompanying drawings. these strips are below the tapered top of the in the drawings: protecting shell. In one of the plates at a as Fig. 1 illustrates a pole for the support of point above the tops ot'the ribs 11, is an no electrical conductors showing a device tor opening 12 into which a removable plug practicing and embodying my invention ap- 13 is screwed.

plied thereto; By reason of the .shell being formed in Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form sections, the embracing shell can, by excato of the device; vating around the poles, be applied to poles at Fig. 3 designates a vertical section through now standing. It can also be applied to the device as applied to the pole; new poles under course of erection.

Fig. i is an elevation oil the device at After the shell has been applied to the right angles to the position shown inFi 1; post, the bottom of it is closed by forcing Fig. 5 is a horizontal section in the 1) ans clay or pitch or cement, or other sealing mam oi line Vs-V of Fig. 3; terial around the ,bottom thereet, as indi- Fig. 6 is a similar section inthe plane cated at so. When this has been done, the ct line vl v'l of Fig. and earth around the pole may be filled in. A Fig. '3' is a partial section showing a sol-- quantity of crude oil, tar, creosote, or other fill dered joint. preservative is poured into the intervenin 105 la the drawings, 5 designates a Vpale of space between the shell and the 0st throng wood or metal to be protected. lie I opening 12, after which the p ug 13 is inhave illustrated a pole for supporting elecserted. This uantity of preservative is tr'ical conductors, it will be obvious that gradually absor ed by the wood, if the pole the invention is equally applicable to poles is a wooden one, and will not only soak into 1w that portion of thewood which is surrounded, but, due to the capilarity of he fibers, will permeate the wood both above and below the shell. Similar effects are secured when a metal pole is protected. This quantity of preservative may be sufiicient to last for a considerable time, and, when exhausted, may be renewed.

Thus, in addition to the incidental protection afforded by the shell, a quantity of protecting fluid may, from time to time, be applied and the'shell will act as a reservoir to insure a suflicient supply to keep the pole or 0st saturated.

y reason of the filling opening being above the ribs, the oil can flow into all of the spaces between the ribs. As the shell is preferably formed of a nonrusting sheet metal, it can be readily hammered into shape to conform to such irregularities as exist in individual poles or-posts of the same class. Various sizes may also be made.

The ribs and the casing, furthermore, serve to reinforce the pole and, due to the increased area presented to the surrounding earth, assist in more securely anchoring the pole in the earth.

Various 'changes and modifications may be made in the construction of the shell within the contemplation of the invention and under the scope of the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

The combination with a pole ofa plurality of longitudinally spaced apart strips secured thereto and extending vertically therealong, and a casing extending above and below the ground level comprised of a plurality of vertical sections'secured together and embracing that portion of the pole to which the strips are secured, said sections having contracted upper portions and longitudinally extending flanges, means for securing the flanges together, means in one of the section: above the strips through which preservative may be poured, and means closing the bottom of the casing against the escape of the preservative.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN HEBER. 

